Chad McBroom

Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about keeping my blades sharp. I am constantly looking for the best tools and techniques for putting a killer edge on a piece of steel and maintaining that edge. I have used several different sharpening systems from table stones and rods to guided-angle sharpeners. The one type of sharpener I have always avoided, however, is the electric sharpener. I have seen the results of many pull-through electric sharpeners, and to say the least, they make me cringe. It’s kind of like sticking your blade inside a garbage disposal.

After much reservation I finally decided to give a Work Sharp a try. I really wanted a system that would allow me to sharpen some of my larger blades, which includes some machetes, kukris, and tomahawks. After watching a contestant on the show Forged in Fire use a Work Sharp to do some finishing work on a cutlass, I decided it might be worth my time to give the system a test run. I chose to go with the Ken Onion Edition because of the additional features and attachment options not found on the standard model. Plus, I figured Ken Onion wouldn’t put his name on anything unless it was worthwhile.

What You Get

The Ken Onion Edition comes with the Work Sharp Ken Onion Power Platform equipped with a variable speed Power Switch, Power Switch Lockout, Sharpening Cassette with Edge Guide, removable Sharpening Guide with angle adjustment, and five abrasive belts (Extra Course, Coarse, Medium, Fine, and Extra Fine). The Ken Onion Edition also comes packaged with a detailed user’s guide and instructional DVD to guide you through the process of setting up and using your sharpener to the fullest, as well as a quick-reference card to hang in your shop.

Use

Setting up the Work Sharp for use is quick and easy. It is really just a matter of plugging the system in, choosing the appropriate abrasive belt, and selecting the sharpening angle. The belts can be easily swapped out by simply lifting the belt changing lever, sliding the belt on or off, and releasing the lever. The sharpening angle is set by turning the Angle Adjustment Knob located on the Sharpening Guide and aligning the desired angle with the indicator line at the top of the guide. The Angle Adjustment Knob is marked from 15 degrees to 30 degrees in 1-degree increments, offering a wide range of angle selections.

Once the angle is set and the desired belt installed, you are ready to begin sharpening. Beginning with the power off, insert the blade into the right side of the Sharpening Guide at the heel of the bevel. Squeeze the Power Switch and simultaneously pull the blade through the guide at a rate of one inch per second, following the curve of the blade and keeping the edge perpendicular to the belt. Be sure to use only the weight of the blade against the belt. Do not press down into the guide. Release the Power Switch and stop the pull when the tip of the blade reaches the center of the belt to avoid rounding the tip.

Repeat the process described here on the same side until you develop a burr, then repeat the same number of strokes on the other side. Once you have shaped the secondary bevel, you can progress with finer grit belts using alternating strokes. For longer blades such as kitchen knives, fillet knives, machetes, etc., the Edge Guide can be helpful to guide and support the blade during the sharpening process; however, for most field knives and pocket knives, the Edge Guide is not only unnecessary, but can actually get in the way.

The Work Sharp can also be used on serrated knives and gut hooks. Serrated knives are sharpened using the Extra-Fine belt at low speed against the non-beveled/flat side. Gut hooks can be sharpened by placing the curve of the hook over the Extra-Fine belt on the “downhill” side and honing for two to four seconds on each side. The WSKTS-KO can also be used to sharpen scissors using the built-in scissor guide. By removing the Sharpening Guide and rotating the cassette forward, the Work Sharp can be converted to grinding mode for sharpening lawnmower blades, axes, and other large blades.

Testing

I tested a number of different blades out on the WSKTS-KO. I was quite hesitant at first to try the Work Sharp on any of my quality blades, so most of the blades were either severely damaged or much too large for some of the other sharpening systems I normally use. (I do recommend starting out with some lower quality or less sentimental knives until you get comfortable with the system.) I was quite impressed with how even and precise the bevel was after running the knives through the system. Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t use proper technique, you definitely risk over-grinding the bevel, but if you pull the blade through consistently in the manner I described above, you can achieve some very impressive results.

After getting comfortable with the system I sharpened every kitchen knife and utility knife in the house. The Work Sharp works so quickly it is amazing, especially when you are accustomed to doing everything by hand. I then converted the Work Sharp over to grinding mode and went to work on several tomahawks and axes. The system worked like a champ and left me with some very sharp choppers.

Upgrades

As I mentioned earlier, the Ken Onion edition has some upgraded features that make it quite an attractive piece of equipment. There is a Tool Grinding Attachment that allows for both flat platen and slack belt grinding, and can be used as a power file or handheld belt sander for working with metal, wood, and plastics. The Blade Grinding Attachment will turn the WSKTS-KO into a miniature belt grinder capable of shaping, sharpening, and honing blades. There is also a nice selection of abrasive belts available for both the cassette and the Blade Grinding Attachment, including leather stropping belts.

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition (WSKTS-KO) — Final Thoughts

I was quite impressed with the WSKTS-KO, albeit to my surprise. I am still not a fan of electric sharpeners, but the Work Sharp really does not fall into that category as we know it. The Work Sharp is really a miniature grinder with the added benefit of an angle guide, and this makes all the difference. It definitely requires a certain amount of skill to use, which should not come as a surprise since this is true of any sharpening system, even the most rudimentary hand stone, but it is easy to learn and should not be feared.

One thing I have not mentioned is the benefit of the convex edge. The very nature of the Work Sharp’s slack belt system results in a convex edge, which is an edge with a smooth radius void of any shoulders like a typical flat grind. The omission of the shoulders results in less friction during cutting and more supportive steel behind the edge. It has been my personal experience that a convex edge lasts longer and cuts cleaner than a flat-ground edge. In my opinion, the resultant convex edge gives the Work Sharp a leg up over many other systems.

If you are searching for a versatile, high-quality sharpening system, then the WSKTS-KO is an item at which you should take a hard look. The reasonable price tag makes this system even harder to pass up. I am not saying the WSKTS-KO is the end all be all, but it is definitely a great system with a ton of versatility. I have a feeling that I am only going to become more fond of this system over time. In the meantime, I think I need to get that Blade Grinder Attachment and see what I can do with it.

I recommend purchasing the Sharpmaker at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

If you are a knife enthusiast, then you know the importance of keeping your blade sharp; however, this is not always an easy task. Unless you are highly skilled at maintaining a consistent angle and have a good understanding of the interaction between steel and stone, sharpening and honing your blade can become frustrating. I would venture to say that most knife owners would rather send their knife back to the factory or just buy a new knife altogether than try their hand at sharpening. Those of us that insist on doing it ourselves will typically spend hundreds of dollars trying to find a sharpening system that produces our desired results.

To make things easier for the common man, many companies have begun producing guided angle sharpeners to help people maintain a consistent angle while sharpening and honing. There are a number of these types of systems currently on the market, but those of you that follow my knife reviews here on BladeReviews.com and Black Sheep Warrior, know that I am a big fan of the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener, which I use almost exclusively. I would have to say that the biggest downside of my Wicked Edge system is its lack of portability, which has forced me to rely on more compact systems like the Spyderco Sharpmaker for field use.

What You Get

The Wicked Edge Field & Sport model is a portable version of the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener with their Pro-Pack II hardware. The kit comes with a mounting vise, depth key, a variable angle degree bar, two guide arms with upgraded Pro Pack II ball joints and micro adjustable L-brackets, eight diamond sharpening stones (two of each in 100, 200, 400, and 600 grit), a mounting clamp, and a detailed instruction guide. All of these items fit conveniently into a light-weight carrying case with customized foam inserts so that every piece has its own little home.

Use

If you have never used a Wicked Edge system before, then it might be a bit intimidating at first. There is definitely a learning curve involved here, but the great thing about Wicked Edge is that they have a ton of resources on their website to help you learn how to run your system to its fullest potential. The Field & Sport works like any other Wicked Edge system when it comes to setting your angle and working the stones, but to give you the reader a good grasp on how this system works, I will walk through step by step from setup to finish.

You begin by mounting the sharpener to a hard, stable surface using the provided C-clamp mount. A work bench or picnic table is a good option. My work bench was too thick, so for testing purposes, I mounted the sharpener to a piece of 2×4 that I clamped into a bench vise. The sharpener should be mounted so that the numbers on the degree bar are right side up. The L-brackets of the guide rods are then attached to the degree bar with the ball joints facing inward towards the mounting vise.

Next, loosen the top screw of the vise enough that the knife you are going to sharpen will fit between the vise jaws. Insert the depth key from the left side into one of the sets of holes, using the top holes for smaller knives and the bottom holes for larger knives. Insert the blade into the vise with the tip facing away from you. The blade should be approximately centered from front to back and the spine should be setting against both prongs of the depth key.

One thing to note about the depth key is that the right side of the vise has elongated cutouts instead of the two sets of holes like the left side. When using the top setting, I have found that it is important to apply and maintain downward pressure on the left side of the key to get a consistent setting. Once the blade is positioned, tighten the top vise screw using the provided allen wrench, then tighten the bottom screw, being careful not to over tighten.

Now that the knife is mounted in the vise, it is time to set the sharpening angle. The easiest way to set your angle is to match the existing edge angle. Using the Sharpie technique is the easiest way to determine the bevel angle. Color the entire bevel on both sides using a Sharpie marker. Using a fine grit stone, lightly rub the edge to test the angle setting. The angle setting is correct when the marker is removed evenly from the entire bevel. If marker is removed from the top, but not the bottom, then the angle is too wide. If it is removed from the bottom, but not the top, then the angle is too narrow.

The next step is finding the “sweet spot,” which is where the knife needs to be position in the clamp to get a consistent bevel throughout the the length of the blade. This can be done using the Sharpie technique again. If marker is removed from the edge at the heel and the shoulder at the tip, then the knife is too far forward in the vise. If marker is removed from the shoulder at the heel and the edge at the tip, then the knife is too far back. The knife is correctly positioned when marker is removed parallel to the edge and shoulder along the entire length of the blade.

Once your angles are set and you have located the sweet spot, then you can begin sharpening. There are several techniques you can use with the stones, but for the new user the best method is to start at the heel and slide the stone up and away along the entire bevel so that the stroke is completed when the bottom of the stone reaches the tip of the knife. Work from coarse to finer grits until reaching the desired level of sharpness.

Testing

For the purpose of this review, I sharpened an old Spyderco Endura that I have had for years. When I originally purchased this knife, it had a fully serrated edge, but after years of hard use those serrations became quite worn down and damaged to the point where I eventually removed them. The knife never really had a decent edge on it after that, though.

I went to work on it with the Field & Sport and within about 20 minutes, I had a nice, razor-sharp bevel that would slice through paper with ease. There was one spot on the shoulder that I had to touch up after taking the photo shown here. This was the result of going too deep with a grinder in one spot when removing the serrations, which caused this section of the bevel to be off from the rest. Fixing it required a little more elbow grease and the use of my 50 grit diamond stones to remove quite a bit more steel. Not something you would normally have to deal with when sharpening a knife.

Upgrades

The Field & Sport comes with the basic stones needed to put a good working edge on your knife. Of course, if you want to re-profile a blade or hone the bevel to a beautiful, hair-splitting mirrored finish, then you will want to invest in some additional stones. Wicked Edge offers everything from 50 grit diamond stones to ceramics. They even have several specialty stones such as Japanese water stones and offer an array of leather strops and stropping compounds.

Wicked Edge Field & Sport — Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a high-grade, portable, angle-guided sharpener, or perhaps you have been considering the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener but have been hesitant to fork over several hundred dollars on a knife sharpener, then the Wicked Edge Field & Sport is an excellent option. You get all the benefits of the Wicked Edge in a more economical and portable package. Of course, I can’t recommend the Wicked Edge enough as it is. It is, in my opinion, the epitome of knife sharpeners.

In closing, I would like to thank the guys at Wicked Edge for the opportunity to demo this awesome product of theirs. If you love your steel the way I do, then do yourself a favor and get one of Wicked Edge’s awesome sharpening systems. The Field & Sport is a great place to start!

I recommend purchasing the Wicked Edge Field & Sport at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

During the 2016 SHOT Show, I had the great opportunity to meet a man named Ethan. Ethan was working at the KA-BAR Knives display and approached me as I was viewing some of KA-BAR’s newest designs. We began talking about knives and telling war stories, and before I knew it, almost an hour had passed. When I shook his hand to say goodbye, he handed me a nifty little knife to take with me. He also handed me his card, at which point I finally realized that I had been talking with Ethan Becker.

Ethan Becker is a household name for many. His grandmother is Irma S. Rombauer, author of one of the United States’ most widely published cookbooks—Joy of Cooking. Ethan assumed authorship of this popular book from his mother in 1976, which is why his name is familiar to so many in the kitchen.

As an avid outdoor enthusiast who was in constant search for the perfect knife, Becker founded Becker Knife and Tool in the early 1980’s and began designing and manufacturing hard-use knives right out of his garage. His knives have always been highly regarded among knife experts and critics and in high demand amongst users. To attest to this is the fact that he won the 1990 Blade Award for Most Innovative American-Made Design. While the demand for BK&T Knives has far outgrown Becker’s garage, KA-BAR Knives continues to produce his best-selling designs.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The knife that Ethan handed me during SHOT Show was the BK14 EsKabar, a hybrid collaboration between BK&T/KA-BAR and ESEE Knives. This unique little neck knife (which KA-BAR allowed one of its customers to name) features the blade design from the BK&T/KA-BAR Becker Necker and the handle design from the ESEE Izula. Made in the USA from 1095 Cro-Van steel, this seven-inch long lightweight knife, featuring a drop-point blade makes for a highly functional everyday/survival knife.

Of course, those familiar with the ESEE Izula will want to know how these two knives compare with each other. To answer that question, the dimensions of the EsKabar and the Izula are identical from the handle, which measure 3.75” long. The EsKabar incorporates the large quillon from the Becker Necker, as well as the larger Necker blade. The blade on the EsKabar measures 3.25” as opposed to the 2.63” blade on the Izula. The EsKabar also has a larger belly than the Izula. The difference in thickness is only 1/100th of an inch with the EsKabar being the thicker knife at 0.165”.

For those who may be wondering what the difference is between 1095 and 1095 Cro-Van, 1095CV is essentially the same chemical composition as 1095 with the addition of small amounts of Chromium and Vanadium for better hardening and bonding (hence the term “Cro-Van”) and smaller amounts of Nickel and Moly for added toughness and edge holding. The actual AISI name for this steel is 50-100B. KA-BAR has been using 1095CV for years, even though there was a period where they actually listed it as 1095 in their literature.

Handle and Ergonomics

As I mentioned previously, the EsKabar handle is identical in every way to the ESEE Izula with the exception of the 1/100” difference in thickness. The skeletonized handle has a good feel to it, but gets even better when you wrap the handle with 550 cord. The handle has a nice angle to it, which offers some excellent cutting ergonomics. It is a simple, yet functional design.

Editor’s note – you can also purchase OEM scales from ESEE for the EsKabar. I imagine they make the knife feel real similar to my Izula II (excellent).

Sheath

The EsKabar comes with a MOLLE compatible, injection-molded plastic sheath that can be worn around the neck or lashed to gear using the accompanying 550 cord. It is also cut to fit the KA-BAR TDI metal belt clip, which is available from KA-BAR for $10.35. The sheath comes equipped with a safety lock to ensure that you don’t lose your knife when things get rough. This feature can be removed if you prefer a more streamlined setup.

Personally, I found that I prefer to carry the EsKabar as a neck knife using a 550 cord lanyard. When wearing a neck knife is too cumbersome or inconvenient, then I simply create a belt loop on the sheath by running a piece of 550 cord vertically through two rivets on the inside of each side of the sheath and crossing the cord on the outside in the same fashion as one would lace up a shoe. This creates a nice belt loop attachment that does not add any extra bulk to the sheath. If you use a cord lock to secure the cord rather than a knot, then you have the added option of a convenient quick release.

I also prefer to remove the safety lock from the sheath. It adds some unnecessary bulk to what is otherwise a nicely streamlined system. The knife locks so securely into the sheath that most people will find the presence of the lock unnecessary unless going into the harshest of environments.

BK&T/KA-BAR BK14 EsKabar Review – Final Thoughts

I was very pleased with the quality and design of the EsKabar. I love to see knife-makers work together on projects such as this one. One of the things that I have always appreciated about the knife industry is that there is such a level of camaraderie and appreciation for each other’s work. Knife makers understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into transforming a chunk of steel into a functional work of art. The joint effort between BK&T, KA-BAR, and ESEE that resulted in the EsKabar is a testament to the benefits of such companies working together to reach a common goal.

If you are looking for an economically priced, fixed-blade survival knife, then you can’t go wrong with the EsKabar. With a retail price of around $60.00, the EsKabar delivers high-end quality and functionality to a price point that most people can afford.

I recommend purchasing the BK&T/KA-BAR EsKabar at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

I purchased my very first tactical folder during my Freshman year of college in 1992. That knife was a Spyderco Edura. Since that time, I have always been a fan of Spyderco knives. They were pioneers in that they were the first to incorporate a pocket clip into a knife design, deeply influencing the concept of the modern tactical folder as we know it today.

Butch Vallotton is a custom knifemaker and tinkerer who is probably best known for his innovative method of converting a manual knife into an automatic. Butch and Spyderco teamed up a few years ago to offer a collaboration known as the Spyderco Vallotton Sub-Hilt Folder model C149G. This was an excellent move on Spyderco’s part, because the result was amazing.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The C149G is a heavy-stock folder (6.2 ounces) with a thick 0.156” (4mm) modified tanto-style blade. The blade has a hollow grind on the cutting edge and a convex grind at the tip. This clamshell-shaped grind, known as a Hamaguri or Appleseed Grind, was very popular in designs by the late Bob Lum (the knifemaker who first introduced the modern tanto-style knife) and brings a distinct Japanese flare to the blade design.

The blade length of the C149G is 3.75 inches, and the length of the handle is 5 inches, resulting in a knife that is just under 9 inches in total length—8.687 inches to be exact. Based on those numbers, it may appear as though some length was lost somewhere—exactly .063 inches—but this is due to the angle of the handle near the ricasso.

The blade is made from Crucible Steel Company’s CPM S30V stainless, a proprietary powdered steel formulated specifically for cutlery. S30V is considered to be one of the best knife steels on the market. It is a very hard steel, so make sure you have a good diamond sharpener if you plan on touching up the edge. Of course, it will be a while before you need to re-sharpen it.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The C149G has a lightly contoured handle with black G10 handle scales. The highly-polished G10 scales have a beautiful, almost carbon-fiber look to them. The fitted stainless steel bolsters add a bold contrast to the black scales, resulting in a handle that has the aesthetic appeal of a custom folder.

There are four mounting options for the pocket clip. The knife can be configured to be carried in either a tip up or tip down configuration with the clip on either the right or left side. While this option makes the knife extremely versatile and customizable to the user, the mounting holes on the bolster do detract a bit from an otherwise flawless handle. The clip itself is stainless steel with a nicely polished black finish and the Spyderco logo laser engraved into the metal.

This Vallotton design pays homage to the Big Bear sub-hilt fighting knife designed by knife maker Bob Loveless. A comparison reveals that even the handle shape was heavily influence by the Big Bear. Since most of us here are knife nuts and like to concern ourselves with the minute details, I will go ahead and point out that, in the traditional sense of word, a folding knife does not actually have a hilt. A hilt actually refers to the entire handle of a sword or dagger. English is a derivative language, however, and knifemakers have historically modified the use of terms for lack of better descriptions, so I can see how calling this knife a “sub-hilt folder” is quite appropriate under the circumstances.

This knife is pretty comfortable in the hand, though it does not offer anywhere near the level of retention or ergonomics as its namesake. The thumb hole has some fine jimping on the back portion and doubles as a thumb ramp when the blade is open, but the “sub-hilt” offers little more than a finger grove, most of which is obscured by the liner lock. All in all, the handle is very aesthetically pleasing, but nothing to get overly excited about in terms of handling.

Deployment and Lockup

The C149G features Spyderco’s round thumb hole in addition to an ambidextrous thumb stud. The thumb stud doubles as a stop pin, in place of a locking bar, to prevent the blade from rotating beyond its lockup position. The combination of the two blade deployment options makes for a very positive single-handed deployment. I have found that the thumb stud serves well as a roadblock for the thumb to prevent it from slipping out of the thumb hole.

The stainless steel Michael Walker LinerLock™ is very robust. The beefy liners on this knife are about as thick as the blades of some of the folders in my collection. This beefy lock combined with the thick blade offers one substantial lockup. I do not expect this knife to close without permission under anything but the most extreme adverse conditions coupled with sheer bad luck.

Spyderco Vallotton Review – Final Thoughts

This knife is not for the weak or faint of heart. It is a hefty 6.2 ounces, so if you are not a strong swimmer, then I do not recommend that you jump into the water with this knife in your pocket, even though it is stainless steel. I have been packing my Sub-Hilt Folder around for a little over three years, and I have affectionately referred to it as my “folding fixed-blade” because it is such a stout folder. It remains to be the smoothest opening knife in my collection, as well as the easiest one to open under stress. The Spyderco Thumb Hole is in my opinion one of the best one-handed opening systems on the market, and the addition of the ambidextrous thumb stud only increases its reliability.

Although it is made in Taiwan, you would never believe it if it was not stamped on the blade. This knife has all the qualities of a handmade custom folder. This Italian-style, thick stock folder with its Japanese inspired blade design, à la Bob Lum, and its Loveless Big Bear flare, is not only an amalgamation of international blade culture, but a tribute to a couple of the greatest knife makers in American history. I do not know if that was what Vallotton and Spyderco intended when they began this project, but that is definitely what they accomplished.

I recommend purchasing the Vallotton at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

The tomahawk is a North American hand-axe first used by the Algonquian Indians. Originally made from stone, the introduction of metal blades came with the arrival of the Europeans to North America. The tomahawk remains one of the most versatile bladed tools in existence. Modern uses of the hawk include breaching, rescue, survival, and close-quarter combat.

The tomahawk has seen a huge surge in popularity over recent years. The Gerber Downrange Tomahawk is just one example of the modernization of this classic weapon and tool.

Purpose

From the moment you lay your eyes on it, it is evident that the Gerber Downrange Tomahawk has one purpose, and one purpose only—destruction! Sure, you can take this tool camping and use it to chop fire wood and drive tent stakes, but it would be like using a tank to drive your date to the prom. This tool is made for breaching—designed to remove unwanted doors form walls and unwanted walls from doors.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Downrange Tomahawk (DRT) has a three-purpose axe head designed to pack the most function into this breaching tool: A beveled edge for chopping through drywall, doors, vehicle skins, rope, etc.; a hammer head for busting locks, doorknobs, hinges, and the like; and a cutaway grip for controlling the pry bar end. Measuring at 19.27 inches, the Downrange Tomahawk is one of the larger “tactical” tomahawks on the market. While this makes it a little more cumbersome to pack around, it definitely adds to its leveraging capabilities when used as a pry bar.

With the exception of the welded on hammer head, the DRT is made from a solid piece of 420HC steel and finished with a black Cerakote™ coating. A sweeping beard that comes to a point at the heel gives this hawk excellent hooking capabilities, which can be used for ripping out the busted shards of its target, or for hooking onto stumps and logs when climbing up difficult terrain.

One of the major complaints that I have heard voiced by customers is the DRT’s lack of a sharpened edge. This usually comes from those who fail to understand the intent of this breaching tomahawk. A sharpened bevel is great for chopping wood and other cutting tasks; however, when it comes to breaching a door or cutting through the skin of a downed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a sharpened bevel tends to over penetrate and get stuck, making the task more difficult. Gerber’s thought process then, was that their tomahawk could easily be sharpened for survival and bushcraft use, but with breaching and rescue being the primary focus of this design, a less aggressive bevel was ideal.

Handle and Ergonomics

The DRT has integrated tan G10 handle scales that contour with the jimping on the upper and lower portions of the handle. The bottom portion of the handle has jimping on both the front and back, whereas the top portion of the handle has jimping only on the front. The aggressive jimping makes for a very secure grip, especially when wearing gloves. The location of the jimping on the bottom portion of the handle is in the perfect location for gripping the tomahawk for maximum chopping leverage.

As mentioned earlier, the head doubles as a handle for the pry bar via a cutaway in the center. The addition of four finger groves creates a nice home for your hand inside the handle. There is also a small guard where the head and the handle meet. This guard protects your hand from getting smashed when you are choking up on the hawk.

Sheath

A tool like the DRT is rendered useless if it is not accessible when you need it. The best breaching tool in the world won’t open a single door if it is sitting back in vehicle you drove to the objective. The DRT is made packable through a MOLLE-compatible sheath system that incorporates a molded pry bar sleeve attached to nylon webbing. Two snapping retention bands secure the tomahawk in place. Two side-by-side MOLLE attachments at the top and a centered MOLLE attachment at the bottom of the webbing can be used to attach the DRT to a pack, standard webbing, or body armor so that the DRT goes where you go.

There is a separate portion of the sheath system that covers the tomahawk’s head. The head cover slides over the head and secures in place with a snapping nylon strap. This cover leaves the hammer head and the cutaway handle exposed so the pry bar and hammer can be used with the head cover in place. This reduces deployment time by eliminating the need to remove the cover unnecessarily, while acting as a safety measure to keep the edge covered during prying.

Testing

I took the DRT out to a building that was scheduled for demo and put it through the paces. Doors, drywall, and sheet metal were no match for the DRT. I was able to turn an interior door into splinters within a matter of seconds and the bevel worked like a can opener on the sheet metal. The pry bar also worked like a charm for separating doors from their frames. Using the hammer head, I was able to remove door knobs and hinges with a few whacks. Cinder block also proved to be of little consequence when it came to stopping the DRT.

Gerber Downrange Tomahawk Review – Final Thoughts

The Gerber Downrange Tomahawk is an extremely versatile breaching tool that performs as advertised. I was actually a bit surprised by its performance. I am a bit of a steel snob and 420HC is not one of my favorite steels. While 420HC is on the higher end of the 400-grade stainless steels, it is a low-grade blade steel generally speaking. I have learned, though, that I am often surprised by the performance of some of these lower grade steels when they are properly hardened. I have not tried putting an edge on the DRT, so I do not know how well this 420HC hawk will retain an edge, but as it is out of the box, it performed well.

Compared with offerings from boutique brands like Hardcore Hardware, RMJ Tactical, and Dawson knives, the DRT is priced appropriately at under $200 retail. I definitely recommend the Gerber Downrange Tomahawk for anyone looking for an effective breaching/rescue tomahawk.

I recommend purchasing the Gerber Downrange Tomahawk at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

When it comes to folding knives, I am extremely selective in what I choose to carry, especially if it is a blade that I am going to carry for self-protection. It has to be light, reliable, sharp, and geometrically efficient. These are just a few of the qualities I look for in a folder. After all, a folding knife is already at a disadvantage over a fixed blade, due to the fact that it has to rely on mechanical functions.

I had been a fan of Zero Tolerance’s quality and construction ever since they came on the market a few years ago, but I wasn’t crazy about their designs. They built tanks, but I wanted something that was as tough as a tank, but as sleek as a Ferrari at the same time. Finally, I discovered the 0452CF.

The 0452CF is a streamlined, mass production version of the award-winning 0454, designed by Dimitry Sinkevich, who is an artist in the realms of both beauty and function. I was instantly drawn to this knife because of its long, narrow blade and slender profile. I had finally found a Zero Tolerance that would suit my personal needs. It was destined to become one of my favorite EDC knives.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The 0452CF has a blade length of 4.10”, a handle length of 5.17”, an overall length of 9.27”, and is made in the USA. The knife weighs in at 4.64 ounces, which is extremely light considering the size of the knife. In fact, if it were any lighter, it would probably be too light. This knife has just the right amount of weight to it. Plus, it is perfectly balanced right at the first finger grove.

The blade of the 0452CF is a flat-ground, drop point design with a satin finish. The blade is constructed of 0.16” CPM-S35VN. This is an excellent steel made by Crucible and designed specifically for knife making. This steel has excellent properties in the areas of edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance, which make it an excellent choice in for an EDC blade.

One of the primary reasons I chose this particular knife as an EDC defensive blade is the blade geometry. The long, narrow drop point with the ¾+ false edge is an excellent thrusting blade. Of course, it does a fine job cutting as well and came razor sharp right out of the box. The 0452CF is just a great all around defensive blade.

The first thing I did when I took the knife out of the box is do some cutting tests. First, I did a paper test and the blade sliced off slips of paper with laser precision. Then I set up a couple of full 12-ounce water bottles and slashed away at them one at a time. The knife cut almost completely through each water bottle. Very impressive for a 4.1” folding knife!

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 0452CF is carbon fiber on one side and titanium on the other side, which is the reason this knife is so light. It has a slender profile with very subtle finger groves where the index and pinky fingers rest. The curvature at the back causes the handle to sit comfortably in the hand, giving it a subtle forward cant for perfect wrist alignment. When closed, the blade sits so deeply inside the handle that it adds very little to the handle’s profile, resulting in a slender package that tucks nicely along the seam of the pocket.

One of the things I love about Zero Tolerance is their deep pocket clips. This knife is no exception. The deep pocket clip mounted low on the handle allows this knife to sit almost completely concealed inside the pocket. The clip on this knife has a very small signature as well, causing the knife virtually to disappear in the pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

The 0452CF has a flipper mechanism for quick, one-handed opening. Unlike its 0454 predecessor, the flipper mechanism on this model has some nice jimping to ensure positive finger contact with the flipper. A strong detent system not only locks the blade in place when it is in the closed position, but also adds counter resistance so that the blade launches open when the pressure on the flipper breaks free of the detent.

When I first got the knife, the detent was pretty stiff. I had to use a hard wrist flick to open the knife. During the 2016 SHOT Show, a product rep stopped me and asked if he could demo some of his micro-particle oil on my knife. He put a small drop on the detent pin using a needlepoint dropper, and that was all it took to make the blade deploy with a simple flip of the index finger. It has been silky smooth ever since.

The 0452CF employs the KVT (Kershaw Velocity Technology) ball bearing system, which rotates around a large, beautiful five-spoke pivot pin. The titanium side of the handle provides a durable frame lock. Combined with a hardened steel locking bar, the titanium frame lock ensures a solid lock up. I feel very confident with this knife’s locking system.

Zero Tolerance 0452CF – Final Thoughts

I am not at all displeased with my Zero Tolerance 0452CF. This knife is everything I expected it would be and more. It has become a regular part of my Every-Day Carry kit. I typically carry multiple knives, but this is the one knife that always goes with me. I have been carrying this knife every day for about 4 months now. It has held its edge like a champ, and the opening has only gotten smoother over time.

I cannot say enough good things about this knife. If you are looking for a high-quality, tactical folder, then you would be doing yourself a favor by purchasing the ZT0452CF. I’m very glad that Zero Tolerance decided to run this production run of the Dimitry Sinkevich collaboration. In fact, not to diminish the artistic beauty of the 0454 in any way, but I would even go so far as to say that some of the features of this production run (i.e. the jimping on the flipper) are upgrades over the original. I have no doubt that others will enjoy this knife as much as I have.

I recommend purchasing the ZT 0452CF at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Chad McBroom as the newest contributing author to BladeReviews.com. Chad is a martial artist, knife designer, author, and member of law enforcement, and he brings a unique perspective to the website (specifically, he is able to evaluate knives as defensive tools – something I have never claimed to be an expert on). Chad is also the founder and owner of Comprehensive Fighting Systems, and specializes in practical empty-hand, blade, stick, and firearms self defense applications.

I am excited about featuring Chad’s work on the site and I think he couldn’t have picked a better first knife to review. I was obvious a huge fan of the original 454, and I am glad that Zero Tolerance decided to bring this design to their regular production lineup in 2015.